Why Georgia, Florida and the Jags May Be Affected by One Stadium Renovation

In a radio interview earlier this week, outgoing Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry told 1010XL that the “best case scenario” for stadium renovation to TIAA Bank Field in downtown Jacksonville would be a two-year renovation in which the Jaguars “will have to play somewhere else.” But this doesn’t only impact the Jags, as the Florida-Georgia football rivalry game has been played in Jacksonville nearly every year since 1933.

"The goal would be [for the Jags] to play somewhere in Jacksonville," Curry told 1010XL of the team’s plans while a stadium renovation is ongoing. "Those discussions are happening, but two years is the goal.”

The rivalry game between the Bulldogs and Gators is lucrative for both schools. An industry source estimated they net more than $5 million each annually for the game between payouts, management fees, ticket sales and other revenues, which is the chief reason it is likely to stay in Jacksonville for the long term despite Kirby Smart’s desire to change the arrangement due to the lost recruiting weekend (NCAA rules forbid recruits from attending a neutral-site game). Alternating the game home and home would be a tough sell to both administrations because of the lost revenue for both sides over a two-year period, even if the SEC moves to a nine-game schedule.

But there could be temporary displacement, like there was in 1994 and ‘95 when the original Gator Bowl stadium was nearly entirely rebuilt when the Jaguars were established as a franchise. The two teams played on each others’ campus for the first time since the ‘31 and ‘32 seasons. Whether the Jags or the rivalry game will actually be displaced (and when) will be its own battle, though. Curry said the renovations could begin during the 2025 and ‘26 seasons. But Jaguars team president Mark Lamping told The Florida Times Union that any renovations would not start until ‘26 at the earliest. Florida and Georgia are in the final full year of their agreement with the city of Jacksonville to play the game there, with an option for two more which would be ‘24 and ‘25. This will be decided by the future mayor with a runoff election next week as Curry is currently a lame duck. One of the two candidates, Daniel Davis, has made his stance clear:

These are going to be tough negotiations, but the @Jaguars playing out of town for two years is a non-starter for me.

— Daniel Davis (@DanielDavisFL) May 11, 2023

The team and the city could opt for an arrangement to do the renovations like South Florida did across three different offseasons that didn’t prevent either the Miami or the Dolphins from playing games in Hard Rock Stadium.

Should the Jaguars actually move temporarily, that move may involve the Gators as well, with Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville approximately a 90-minute drive away from TIAA Bank Field. It’s the closest stadium that has an actual NFL capacity and premium seating.

“The Jaguars have shared their exciting vision for their stadium renovations with us and also expressed interest in having future conversations about where they would play games during the renovation. It would be worth exploring hosting games in The Swamp. There are a lot of Jags fans in Gainesville given the close proximity to Jacksonville,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said in response to media inquiries.

While upgrades to The Swamp have been reported and rumored for years, a source with knowledge of the situation tells SI that potential stadium renovations are not in the design phase and no architect has even been hired. Actual further renovations to the 93-year old stadium like more luxury boxes or all chairback seating is a long way off.

Rehoming an NFL team in a college stadium certainly isn’t without precedent either. The Panthers played home games at Clemson while waiting for their home stadium to be built in the 90s, as did the Titans at Vanderbilt before Nissan Stadium was constructed. The Bears also played at Illinois while Soldier Field went through renovations in the early 2000s. Recently, the Chargers spent two seasons playing at a soccer stadium while waiting for SoFI Stadium to be built. The Jags have been in touch with nearby University of North Florida to use its small on-campus facility, but it would likely need some major temporary upgrades as it’s only 12,000 seats. Other options could include Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, although the Orlando mayor’s office told Spectrum News they have not had discussions with the Jaguars.

The future of the Gator Bowl game may also have to be considered, and it’s not without precedent to play that elsewhere either. The 1994 game between Tennessee and Virginia Tech was played in Gainesville.